As a Mindy Project/Mindy Kaling fan, I found it really interesting to learn about the show and Kaling’s stance on feminism. Although she is a very well-respected screenwriter, actress, and public figure, I do not consider Kaling to be a feminist. It is true that she has gone great lengths to make people respect her, as she has faced much criticism all of her life for her weight, race, and gender. Although she is a well-respected OB/GYN doctor on her show, which perhaps is progressively feminist, her character is portrayed as a boy-crazy and obsessive woman who does not feel complete without a man in her life at all times. This aspect of her character bothers me, because it conveys the notion that although a woman can be successful in their career, she still cannot be complete without a man.
This also raises the question of whether The Mindy Project would attract the same number of viewers without Mindy being a little bit crazy and always on the lookout for her next great love interest. If Mindy was focused solely on her career, this would eliminate a huge part of the drama and comedy of the show. However, if the main character were a male doctor, the love aspect of the show would probably be trivialized and the women would be chasing after him rather than the other way around. Although it’s progressive to have a female doctor lead, the fact that she is constantly obsessing over men almost makes the show seem like a step back for feminism.
While I understand these points and know there are many people who would agree that The Mindy Project isn’t progressive, I somewhat disagree. First, I think it’s really important that Mindy openly identifies as a feminist. As we saw in Monday’s presentation many celebrities don’t, or won’t, directly tell the media they are feminists (possibly because they don’t know what it means). However, Mindy does and she fully supports feminism and the movement so I support her on that. Also, while yes her character is boy obsessed, isn’t that somewhat accurate? I think it’s perfectly fine for people to not want a partner or to not have their love life define them, but it is a very real thing that an audience can relate to. I think one of the reasons the show has been successful is because Mindy does have crazy romantic dreams like many of us do and that she is successful but she does look bad some days or get made fun of some days or screw up on a first date. Personally, that’s why I like her as a character. She can laugh when she messes up and the world isn’t going to die because of it. I personally want a successful career and work has always been really important to me, but I also want a family as well. So yes, there is the debate of can you have it all, but I think the Mindy project address two very real things: work and personal life. Maybe the focus or balance of those things isn’t always accurate, but I do think that wanting a relationship doesn’t make it a regressive show. It makes it realistic to a lot of people. I don’t think her character needs a man, she seems to be quite successful on her own, however she does clearly want one and in my opinion, that’s ok. Yes her expectations could be different and her importance of it could be lessened, but it’s a sitcom. That’s half the joke in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteOverall, no, I don’t think mindy or her show is a perfect, ideal feminist representation. However, I do think it’s a step in the right direction. The show is only two seasons deep so I will be interested to see where it goes. In my opinion it’s too early to tell. Shows like 30 rock which had 8 seasons and Parks and Rec which has had over 100 episodes and are often discussed in regards to feminist characters have had years to perfect and progress. I’m going to give Mindy a chance and hope for the best.